A shape memory alloy structure comprises at least one tubular member formed of shape memory material, each tubular member including a plurality of panels having side edges, wherein each tubular member is moveable between a radially contracted position and a radially extended position, and wherein the coupled side edges of adjacent panels of each tubular member form hinges for moving the structure between the contracted position and the extended position. Multiple layer tubular structures, methods for forming and fixtures for collapsing same are also disclosed.
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13. A shape memory alloy implantable prosthetic structure comprising at least two substantially concentric tubular members formed of shape memory alloy, each tubular member formed of a plurality of scalloped panels separated by peaks, and wherein at least some of the peaks of at least one concentrically inner of the tubular members are aligned with adjacent peaks of the immediately outwardly adjacent tubular member, wherein the structure forms a medical implantable prosthetic.
3. A shape memory alloy implantable prosthetic structure comprising a plurality of tubular members formed of shape memory alloy, each tubular member formed of a plurality of concave panels wherein circumferentially adjacent panels are coupled at substantial tangential portions of each circumferentially adjacent panels, and wherein each tubular member is formed for movement of the shape memory alloy structure between a contracted position and a radially extended position, wherein the structure forms a medical implantable prosthetic.
1. A shape memory alloy implantable prosthetic structure comprising a plurality of tubular members formed of shape memory alloy material, wherein the shape memory alloy material is a nitinol material, each tubular member including a plurality of panels with each panel having side edges coupled to adjacent panels, wherein each tubular member is moveable between a radially contracted position and a radially extended position, and wherein the coupled side edges of adjacent panels of each tubular member form hinges for moving the structure between the contracted position and the extended position, and wherein the panels forming each tubular member are concave members, wherein each tubular member forms a layer of the structure and wherein the adjacent panels of adjacent layers form channels between the layers, wherein the structure forms a medical implantable prosthetic.
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This application is a continuation of international patent application serial number PCT/US2013/041943 filed May 21, 2014 and which designated the United States and is entitled “Collapsible, Shape Memory Alloy Structures and Folding Fixtures for Collapsing Same.” International patent application serial number PCT/US2013/041943 claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/649,431 filed May 21, 2012, entitled “Collapsible, Shape Memory Alloy Structures and Method for Forming Same” which prior applications are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to collapsible shape memory alloy structures, and more particularly to lightweight or low profile, collapsible, shape memory alloy structures and method for forming same. Such collapsible, shape memory alloy structures may be formed as cardiovascular stents, cardiovascular valves, filters, closure devices, drug delivery devices, pumps or stents for any lumen or tissue in or outside of the body, or even an electronic component.
2. Background Information
Materials combining ultra-low density with the desirable characteristics of metals have been under technical development for decades, and a variety of metals and alloys are commercially available in various cellular forms. Cellular structures made from shape-memory alloys (SMAs), most commonly nitinol, are particularly intriguing for their potential to deliver shape memory and/or superelasticity in a lightweight material. Shape memory refers to the ability of SMA to undergo deformation at one temperature, then recover its original, un-deformed shape upon heating above its “transformation temperature.” Superelasticity occurs at a narrow temperature range just above its transformation temperature; in this case, no heating is necessary to cause the undeformed shape to recover, and the material exhibits enormous elasticity, some 10-30 times that of ordinary metal.
Over 20 years ago a survey focused on predicting the then future technology, market, and applications of SMA's. The companies predicted the following uses of nitinol in a decreasing order of importance: (1) Couplings, (2) Biomedical and medical, (3) Toys, demonstration, novelty items, (4) Actuators, (5) Heat Engines, (6) Sensors, (7) Cryogenically activated die and bubble memory sockets, and finally (8) lifting devices. Many of these applications have come to pass. One significant application of nitinol in medicine is in stents because a collapsed stent can be inserted into a vein and return to its original expanded shape helping to improve blood flow. The biocompatibility of nitinol has made it essentially a material of choice in biomedical device developments. Nitinol is known in a variety of other common applications such as extremely resilient glasses frames, some mechanical watch springs, retractable cell phone antennas, microphone booms, due to its highly flexible & mechanical memory nature.
Some methods of forming SMA structures are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,896,222 which is incorporated herein by reference and relates to a transient-liquid reactive brazing method that allows the fabrication of low density metal alloy structures, such as cellular or honeycomb structures, wire/tube space-frames, or other sparse built-up structures using nitinol (near-equiatomic titanium-nickel alloy) or related shape-memory and superelastic alloys, or high temperature SMAs, such as NiTi X alloys, wherein X is Hf or Zr substituted for Ti and/or X is Cu, Pd, Pt and/or Au substituted for Ni, e.g., NiTiCu or TiNiPd. More particularly, shape memory alloys (SMAs), in forms such as corrugated sheets, discrete tubes, wires, or other SMA shapes are joined together using a transient-liquid reactive metal joining technique, wherein a brazing metal contacts an SMA, like nitinol, at an elevated temperature. The brazing metal, preferably niobium, liquefies at a temperature below the melting point of both the brazing metal and the SMA, and readily flows into capillary spaces between the elements to be joined, thus forming a strong joint. In this method, no flux is required and the joined structures are biocompatible. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,273,194 and 8,465,847 which are incorporated herein by reference and which disclose methods of manufacture of shape-memory alloy cellular materials and structures by transient-liquid reactive joining.
U.S. Publication 2009-0149941, which is incorporated herein by reference, is directed to a compressed tubular tissue support structure that can easily be introduced into vessels requiring support. This reference notes that in medical fields the “Introduction of a stent into a hollow organ is difficult When the stent is introduced into the hollow organ there is a risk that the surrounding tissue will be injured by abrasion in the process, because the stent is too large and has sharp edges. The shape-memory effect is therefore also used again to reduce the diameter of the stent when the stent is in turn to be removed. Examples of removable stents composed of metals with shape-memory properties are known, for example, in: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,413,273; 6,348,067; 5,037,427; and 5,197,978”; and these patents are incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,716,410, 5,964,744, 6,245,103 and 6,475,234 and WIPO documents WO 2002/041929, WO 2003/099165, WO 2004/010901, and WO 2005/044330 are also discussed as relevant disclosure of SMA stent designs and these patents and documents are incorporated herein by reference.
There remains a need to expand the available lightweight, collapsible, shape memory alloy structures for applications in numerous fields.
One aspect of the present invention provides a shape memory alloy structure that may include at least two layers formed of shape memory material. Each layer is formed with a plurality of panels having side edges, wherein at least some of the adjacent layers are coupled together at selected edges of adjacent panels. The structure is moveable between a contracted position and an extended position and wherein the coupled edges may form hinges for moving the structure between the contracted position and the extended position. The edges of the panels are referenced as hinges in that, as described below, the panels move to a contracted position effectively relative to edges that comprise the relatively unbendable part of the structure, similar to a hinge pin. In the present design, as described below these edges are essentially the stiff joints and the “bearing” surfaces for crimping and later outer diameter support of whatever may encloses it the structure.
The invention provides a shape memory alloy structure including at least one tubular member formed of shape memory material. Each tubular member includes a plurality of panels having side edges, wherein each tubular member is moveable between a radially contracted position and a radially extended position. The coupled side edges of adjacent panels of each tubular member form hinges for moving the structure between the contracted position and the extended position.
The invention also provides a shape memory alloy structure comprising at least one tubular member formed of shape memory alloy, each tubular member formed of a plurality of concave panels wherein circumferentially adjacent panels are coupled at substantial tangential portions of each circumferentially adjacent panels, and wherein each tubular member is formed for movement of the shape memory alloy structure between a contracted position and a radially extended position.
The invention also provides a shape memory alloy structure comprising at least two substantially concentric tubular members formed of shape memory alloy. Each tubular member is formed of a plurality of scalloped panels separated by peaks. At least some of the peaks of at least one concentrically inner of the tubular members are aligned with adjacent peaks of the immediately outwardly adjacent tubular member.
The invention provides a shape memory alloy structure including at least one tubular member formed of shape memory alloy and formed of a plurality of substantially solid scalloped panels separated by peaks. The structure is moveable between a radially contracted position and a radially extended position, wherein the effective outer diameter of the structure in the radially extended position is at least 3.5 times the effective outer diameter of the structure in the radially contracted position.
The invention provides a method of compacting a collapsible shape memory alloy structure comprising the steps of (a) providing a folding fixture with a body member having an inlet opening of a first diameter at one end thereof and a smaller diameter outlet at an opposite end thereof and a converging surface extending between the inlet opening and the outlet opening; and (b) passing the collapsible shape memory alloy structure entirely through the inlet opening and the outlet opening of the folding fixture.
The invention provides a method of manually compacting a collapsible shape memory alloy structure comprising the steps of (a) providing a folding fixture with a strap; (b) looping the strap about the perimeter of the collapsible shape memory alloy structure; manually tightening the strap about the perimeter of the collapsible shape memory alloy structure.
The invention provides a method of compacting a collapsible shape memory alloy structure, comprising the steps of (a) providing a shape memory alloy structure which includes at least one tubular member formed of shape memory alloy, each tubular member formed of a plurality of concave panels wherein circumferentially adjacent panels are coupled at hinges for movement of the shape memory alloy structure between a contracted position and a radially extended position; (b) providing a folding fixture having a plurality of radially moveable pins; (c) engaging the pins with the panels of the shape memory alloy structure; (d) moving the pins radially inwardly while in contact with the panels of the shape memory alloy structure to compact the shape memory alloy structure.
The invention provides a shape memory alloy structure extending along a longitudinal axis and having a retracted state and a deployed state. The structure includes a tubular member including a plurality of substantially solid, concave outer surface panels forming the tubular member circumference. Each panel is coupled to two adjacent panels on opposed sides at peak portions at radially outermost portions of the tubular member in the deployed state. Each panel extends substantially parallel to the prosthesis's longitudinal axis, and wherein the retracted state has the panels and the peak portions of the tubular member positioned radially inwardly of their respective positions in the deployed state and the retracted state has each panel bending about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis forming generally greater outer surface concavity than in the deployed state, whereby a substantially tight serpentine structure is formed by the panels and peaks in the retracted state.
The invention provides a shape memory alloy structure extending along a longitudinal axis and having a retracted state and a deployed state, said structure comprising: an outer tubular member including a plurality of substantially solid, concave outer surface panels forming the tubular member circumference, each panel coupled to two adjacent panels on opposed sides at peak portions at radially outermost portions of the tubular member in the deployed state, and wherein each panel extends substantially parallel to the prosthesis's longitudinal axis; and an inner tubular member including a plurality of substantially solid convex inner surface panels forming the circumference of the inner tubular member, each panel coupled to two adjacent panels on opposed sides at peak portions at radially outermost portions of the tubular member in the deployed state, and wherein each panel extends substantially parallel to the prosthesis's longitudinal axis; and wherein the inner tubular member peaks are coupled to the outer tubular member peaks, and wherein central portions of the inner tubular member panels are spaced from the central portions of the outer tubular member panels.
It is noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless expressly and unequivocally limited to one referent. The features that characterize the present invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims which are part of this disclosure. These and other features of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects obtained by its use will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the operating examples. These and other advantages of the present invention will be clarified in the brief description of the preferred embodiment taken together with the drawings in which like reference numerals represent like elements throughout.
The present invention provides a shape memory alloy structure 10 that may include at least two layers 20 and 30 formed of shape memory material, such as NiTI-based alloys including nitinol. As described in further detail herein the structure 10 can have numerous applications.
The collapsible lumen of structure 10 of
As noted the structure 10 of
The present invention provides that at least some, if there are more than two layers 20 and 30 in structure 10, of the adjacent layers 20 and 30 are coupled together via a filler material such as a niobium (Nb) metal, at selected edges of adjacent panels. The filler material may be a niobium braze material such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,896,222, which is incorporated herein by reference. As further detailed in the '222 patent niobium based braze material may be implemented as a liquid reactive braze material, for fabrication of “cellular” or “honeycomb structures”, wire space-frames or other “sparse” built up structures or discrete articles using Nitinol and related shape-memory and super-elastic alloys. The braze process is properly summarized as a reactive eutectic brazing process using Nb as a melting point depressant for nitinol. The Niobium brazing material when brought into contact with Nitinol at elevated temperature, liquefies at temperatures below the melting point and flows readily into capillary spaces between the elements to be joined, thus forming a strong joint. This Niobium based brazing material, such as pure niobium and niobium alloys, and the associated coupling techniques are well suited for coupling the layers 20 and 30 of the structure 10 at adjacent peaks 34 and 24.
Regarding the Niobium containing brazing material and associated brazing methods see also U.S. Patent publication numbers 2011/0009979, 2011/0008643, and 2008/0290141 which are incorporated herein by reference. Regarding general background for similar couplings see also “Transient Liquid Phase Bonding”, MacDonald et al., 1992, Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci. 22:23-46; “Transient Liquid Phase (TLP) Diffusion Bonding of a Copper Shape Memory Alloy Using Silver as lnterlayer”, DeSalazar et al., Scripta Materialia, vol. 37, No. 6, pp. 861-867, 1997. It is noted, however, that the title of these articles may be somewhat misleading as to the present process described in U.S. Patent publication numbers 2011/0009979, 2011/0008643, and 2008/0290141, wherein the braze process is properly summarized as a reactive eutectic brazing process using Nb as a melting point depressant for nitinol, and not a “transient liquid” bonding process as the term “transient liquid” is sometimes used.
The joining technique using niobium based filler for coupling peaks 24 and 34 may be a “spot-welding” technique for the shape-memory alloy layers 20 and 30 using conventional resistance-welding techniques. For example, a thin foil of pure niobium is placed between the peaks 24 and 34 to be joined. Thereafter, under appropriate clamping pressure, an electrical current pulse is passed through the coupled peaks 24 and 34 with sufficient intensity to cause transient melting. The spot welding technique can be used to hold complex structures together prior to the full brazing process described herein to avoid the necessity to use elaborate fixtures or jigs. A schematic brazing fixture is discussed in connection with
The adhering process using niobium based filler can include metal-inert gas (MIG) welding of shape-memory alloys of the peaks 24 and 34 wherein, for example, a pure niobium welding wire is fed into the welding arc which is shielded by an appropriate flow of inert gas. The same principles of flux-less processing, eutectic liquid formation, and the formation of ductile, biocompatible solidification products associated with the Niobium brazing process applies to this MIG method of joining layers 20 and 30.
For small scale structures 10, such as used for medical stents and valves, the filler metal, such as niobium and niobium alloys, may sputtered onto at least some of the edges or peaks 24 and 34 to allow for thin film application associated with these applications. It will likely be applied to only one of the two surfaces to be joined, whichever presents the easier application surface. Sputtering is a preferred method for placing niobium when the amount needed is less than can be provided by a wrought niobium foil. The method of forming the shape memory alloy structure 10 may further provide that the sputtering step of applying niobium to the selected edges or peaks 24 and 34 of the layers 20 and 30 includes the use of mask members to control the application of the niobium filler material to only the designated desired area. In essence such masks will cover those areas of the layer 20 or 30 not to be sputtered with the filler material. Other methods of filler material application include vacuum evaporation, plasma deposition or kinetic spray techniques, some of which may prove to be particularly efficient and cost effective.
The filler material as discussed above may be referenced as a brazing material a welding material or even a soldering material. Preferably the filler material is pure niobium or niobium alloyed with any metal capable of forming an alloy with niobium. Niobium composite structures are also possible with multilayer foils.
Returning to the
Turning to
When formed into the undulating shape with scalloped panels 32 and peaks 34 the ends 36 of the sheet 40 will overlap at some section and the overlapping ends 36 can be coupled together in the same fashion as the adjacent aligned peaks 34 and 24 discussed above.
Turning to
Placing layers 20 and 30 into the fixture of
Placing layers 20 and 30 into the spot welding fixture with the brazing material located at the peaks 24 and 34 allows the brazing to be completed to form the structure 10, whereby, under appropriate clamping pressure, an electrical current pulse is passed through the coupled peaks 24 and 34 with sufficient intensity to cause desired melting.
The radii at peaks 24 and 34 and the other radii forming panels 22 and 32 are blended to form a continuous curvature. The peaks 24 and 34 are generally formed with minimal radii as reasonable while the various radii of the panels 32 and 22 depend upon the desired number of panels 22 and 32, the desired size of the inner lumen formed by panel 32 and the desired size of the channels formed between the panels 22 and 32 and the diameter of the contracted position with a given size for the nitinol forming each layer 20 or 30. The response characteristics desired can also be used in the design for selecting particular radii. The illustrated structures 10 are intended to be representative and not restrictive or limiting of the relative shapes of the panels and peaks of layers 20 and 30.
The tubular multilayer structure 10 shown in
The structure 10 of the present invention has exceptional response curve shown in
As noted, the static axial length of the structure 10, as a stent in particular, offers a distinct operational advantage in that there is a much higher degree of certainty in the device 10 placement due to the static axial length between radially different positions. Further when implemented as a stent the device 10 of the invention differs from conventional “self-expanding stents” that generally consist of a single layer of NiTi and are commonly laser-cut from tubes which is associated with an unfavorable crystallographic texture in the circumferential direction. Further unlike device 10, conventional stents typically rely on ligaments that bend within the cylindrical surface of a virtual tube (having surface normal in the radial direction) wherein, by contrast, the device 10 described herein allows the possibility of metallurgically-bonded corrugations and/or honeycombs, so-called thin-walled “cellular” structures. It should be evident from the description that this cellular structure is not to be confused with “porous” SMAs which do not have regular, periodic structures and are not thin-walled). In contrast with conventional stent designs the structure 10 allows construction of the device from wrought NiTi elements that have improved mechanical properties and transformation strain (with a more favorable texture), and can employ bending within the “tube” cross-section (with normal in the axial, z-direction). These advantages extend beyond the stent field, but the stent field allows for easy comparison of the present structure 10 to conventional construction.
The “stent” concept is not limited to medical applications but can be used for opening and holding-open other restricted lumens, or creating a lumen or passageway in industrial applications, e.g., a crimped fuel line can be internally reinforced with the structure 10 allowing reinforcement without taking the system off line and disassembling the device, which may be particularly advantageous for complex machinery; or a flexible vent tube of a machine may be held in an expanded state for access of an inspection scope. Another representative application is using the structure 10 as a base for an internal filter structure such as to contain emboli in medical applications or unwanted particulate matter in general applications. A filter sack or filtering material would be extended across the inner surface of the outer layer 20 such as at the down-stream end to contain the emboli within the structure 10. The structure 10 could be later removed, such as in distal protection filters used in angioplasty and stent placement. In industrial applications, it could be used in a fuel or hydraulic fluid line downstream of a filtering assembly that is being replaced or otherwise serviced. Another representative application is using a shortened version of structure 10 as an expanding membrane that can used to occlude a defect.
The shape of the multi-layer structure 10 as shown has other advantages, as illustrated the adjacent panels 32 and 22 of adjacent layers 20 and 30 form channels between the layers 20 and 30. These channels can be used in medical applications for onsite drug delivery purposes. Specifically one or more medicaments may be placed within selected channels to be delivered in situ. For example an anticoagulant or anti thrombotic medicament may be included in channels of a stent formed from the structure 10. The types of medicaments are not limited and there can be as many distinct types as channels. Additionally, for medical applications the surfaces of the layers 20 and 30 may be surface treated or coated to provide medicaments or desired biomolecule, such as heparin coated on the inner surface of inner layer 30 for a stent application. The outer surface of outer layer 20 may have a distinct bio-coating or surface treatment particular to its application, and the inside of the channels may have a third surface treatment or coating. The coatings or surface treatments may be in addition to the packing or filling of the channels with medicaments as discussed above. The filling of the channels with material to be dispensed when the structure is positioned is only limited in that the channel must not be filled too much so as to interfere with moving from a retracted state to the deployed state. The channels could also serve as effective location for other elements, such as the positioning of nanotechnology or nanomachines, such as for example the NANOPUMP™ brand of Debiotech's miniaturized drug delivery pumps.
As noted the shape memory alloy structure 10 according to the present invention may have an outer facing surface of an outermost of the layer with a distinct surface treatment or coating from an inner facing surface of an innermost of the layers. This concept of different structuring can include different surface finishes on the inner and outer layers 20 and 30. For example, the shape memory alloy structure 10 according to the invention may have one of the outer facing surface of the outermost of the layers 20 and the inner facing surface of the innermost of the layers 30 be substantially uniformly perforated and the other be substantially solid. In an alternative arrangement one surface may have a textured surface for attachment wherein the other surface is intentionally smooth. Alternatively, different alloys (having different transformation temperatures) for the inner and outer sheets 20 and 30 may be utilized, to provide, for example, an increase in the temperature range of functionality, or to control the plateau characteristics of the stress-strain behavior of the resulting structure 10 discussed in connection with
The multi-layer construction of structure 10 according to the present invention is applicable for many biologic applications in humans and animals with medical stents and filters as discussed above being two easily understood implementations. A heart valve 60 as shown in
Other representative medical applications that the structure 10 of the present invention may be useful in forming include atrial septal defect prosthesis, orthopedic pins, rods, plates, anchors and screws, auditory implants (such as portions of a cochlear implant), nasal implants, urinary tract implants, tear duct implants, and esophageal implants. This is not an exhaustive list, merely intending to show the wider application of the structure 10.
In many medical implant procedures for implanting a device, such as valve 60, the device must be collapsed to its retracted position on site and not pre-loaded. Pre-loading is referencing a collapsing of the device at the manufacturer and shipping it to users in the retracted condition within a deployment vehicle. In many applications it is desired to maintain the structure 10 in the expanded condition till immediately prior to deployment and then, on site, collapse the structure and load it into a delivery vehicle, such as a catheter. For these applications there is a need for simple collapsing or folding fixtures to allow for easy “loading” of the device on site. Existing folding fixtures for nitinol medical devices have been overly complex.
The structure 10 of the present invention allows for a greater simplicity in suitable on site folding fixtures than many other existing nitinol folding fixtures.
The construction of the structure 10 described above allows the structure to collapse as it advances through the fixture 70. The openings 74 and 78 and intervening surface 76 can be configured to match the peripheral shape of the structure 10. The folding fixture 10 of
The illustrated embodiments of structure 10 have shown generally circular or concentric tubular lumen shapes, however alternative geometries are possible. Conical and frusta-conical structures 10 are easily designed. Further structures 10 which are non-symmetrical about a center axis may be applicable for certain implementations as would be combinations of symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes, Further, non-tubular, generally “flat panels” which are folded, for example, in an accordion fashion are possible.
Another application of the structure 10 may be as a component in an electrical circuit. Structure 10 may act as a resistor that does not change in length even with heating.
The preferred embodiments described above are illustrative of the present invention and not restrictive hereof. It will be obvious that various changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The precise scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereto.
Rao, Rob K, Briganti, Richard Thomas, Black, Michael D, Chen, Mike Y
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